La tata e il professore

Although it has been years since I laid eyes on this show, I remember it fondly as being a whimsically charming diversion. As the fey Phoebe Figalilly, Juliet Mills was lovely and charming in her playing of the magical nanny who brings love into the motherless home of three children and their Professor father played by the always amiable Richard Long. Prudence, Hal and Butch made for an endearing trio of kids, and there were some amusing guest stars such as Elsa Lanchester as Nanny's eccentric Aunt Henrietta. Innocently wholesome entertainment from a bygone era, this little show - which ran just two seasons - contained many heart-warming episodes such as the restoration of an old defunct but ornate water fountain in the city park. Once cleaned-up, restored & in working order, Prudence remarks that the face of the lady figurine now had a smile on it, whereas she used to frown! Richard Long, who played Professor Everett, was a very likeable actor who also played Jarrod Barkley in THE BIG VALLEY. Long tragically succumbed to a heart ailment and died at the relatively young age of 47 in 1974.

Unlike most sitcoms of the period, Nanny and the Professor holds up remarkably well, thanks to intelligent writing and an extremely talented cast. This is true family viewing - Something the kids will enjoy and the parents can get a nod and a wink in as well. The story lines are a bit predictable, and there's always a happy ending, but along the way there are often a few twists and surprises you didn't see coming.

The creators of the show very wisely chose to not add a romance between the title characters. They foresaw the inevitable shark jump that would lead to. Likewise, they never explained Nanny or her powers. They didn't even confirm that her powers existed. Instead they provided plausible alternative explanations for most of what Nanny did. But not always. The result is charming.

This is one of those "lost" shows that never airs anymore, but fortunately there are several "gray market" vendors selling mostly-complete collections of the series. If you have fond childhood memories of the show, or children to share it with, it is well worth the purchase.

In the background of this show is a romance that can never take place. The adults have no choice but to stick to their assigned roles. This show takes advantage of the popularity of "Mary Poppins". The "nanny" seems to have certain powers over those of the mere mortal. Always subtle, never garish, her 'powers' aid in her care of the widowed professor's children.

A nice little show, especially for the younger set. I, on the other hand, have always admired Juliet Mills. She is wonderful in the part and has charmed me completely in whatever she does.

Let me put down some interesting facts about this seldom seen series from the early 1970's,which is in some terms "lost forever in the vaults of classic TV shows",and here's why....................

The series "Nanny And The Professor" was a mid-season replacement that premiered on ABC-TV in January of 1970(15 episodes),and was picked up for the fall schedule in September of 1970 where it ran for one season during its complete run thru March of 1971(24 episodes),and was picked up again for its second season in September of 1971,where it ran until its final episode of the series in December of 1972(15 episodes). It is also to point out that the series finished itself off as an animated Saturday Morning Cartoon that ran from September of 1972 to January of 1973 on the same network,where the original cast members providing the voices. It was also made into an full-length animated TV-movie that premiered in 1972 during ABC's Super Saturday Morning Theatre.

It was during those two seasons(1970-1972),that the network ABC had another wholesome entry in the magic sitcom genre at(which included the shows "Bewitched",and "The Flying Nun"-were on the same network)were inspired by the hugely successful entourage of the classic 1964 Disney film "Mary Poppins" which starred Julie Andrews. Also to point out that "Nanny And The Professor" came out during the explosion of the bubblegum era of shows as well that were basically on the same network which included "The Brady Bunch",and also "The Partridge Family",and another magical sitcom as well,"The Ghost And Mrs. Muir".

The overall storyline of "Nanny And The Professor" is based on a widower father-figure(played by Richard Long of the TV series The Big Valley),who is raising three kids of his own,hires a English nanny with magical powers who comes over to help the widower raise his children. The English Nanny and The Professor per say,were established as basically employer/employee since they have virtually no character development whatsoever,especially not even a simple plot for romantic development between the characters nor a time for possible marriage,and this simply was not to be which the producers of the series should have left the door open on some kind of predictment here in which somewhere during the duration of this series where the father-figure would walked down the aisle of martial bliss(think of several episodes that had this:"My Three Sons"? "Eight Is Enough?" "The John Forsythe Show"?).

Charming as these characters were,it just didn't click within the series bounds which to a point they didn't grow into a very happy family,but still it was a charming little sitcom that didn't get to prosper,even though it ran for two seasons. Also to point out there was no sexual tension whatsoever within the characters since it was strictly taboo from network television in 1970. However,the producers along with the writers of this sitcom made sure that the character of Nanny uninterested in the Professor,but the show centered around her and his three young impressionable children,the young boys Hal and Butch and their little sister Prudence,since this was strictly an family oriented show. As for the characters Juliet Mills was lovely and charming as the English Nanny Phoebe Figalilly who brought a wonderful display of magic to the show,and Richard Long was just superb as the father-figure Professor Everett,and as for the children Kim Richards was just six-years old,is cute as a button and just as sweet as she can be as little Prudence Everett....And who can forget that great big shaggy dog they had?

After this series went off the air in 1972,it was never heard from again,until the Christian Broadcasting Network(CBN),begin showing these episodes back in the mid-1980's,and the last time they aired it was on TV Land's Showcase back around in the Spring of 2000. As it was back then.when shows like this got cancelled back in those days,that's where they went,since it was that way then and its that way now. Let's face shows like "That Girl","Julia","The Doris Day Show","Happy Days", "Welcome Back Kotter","Chico And The Man",to "Perfect Strangers",and

"Blossom",not to mention "Punky Brewster",and even our animated TV favorites like "Mister T","The Gary Coleman Show","Muhammad Ali",and "The Adventures Of The Brady Kids" went toward the ghostly graveyard of sitcoms and lost forever cartoons.

There is a note here to where Juliet Mills' character on the show had a sense of ESP,but she did and she even took it to the next level of her career,and it costs her dearly in one of the biggest mistakes of her career,the pathetic daytime soap-opera PASSIONS.

Kim Richards was a HUGE child actress during the 1970's and way into the early 1980's who was best known for several guest appearances on several TV shows and her theatrical features,namely her biggest flicks from Disney where she played a character with ESP in Disney's Escape To Witch Mountain(1975),and the sequel Return To Witch Mountain(1978),not to mention playing a tough biker chick with ESP too in Tuff Turf(1985),and again in her self-produced film Escape(1990).

Richard Long,after this series starred in another family-oriented sitcom and tragically passed away to heart failure in 1974 at the young age of 47.

Return with me, if you will, to Friday night in the fall of 1970...I was 4 years old and remember this show with fond memories. I recall that this was sandwiched between "The Brady Bunch" and "The Partridge Family" on ABC. Many years passed and then in the mid '90s, it reappeared on the FX cable station. Luckily, I recorded some of the episodes and still have them. When I've mentioned this show in the past, my friends didn't recall it. I always remembered Juliet Mills and how I wished I had someone like her in our home. She wasn't a witch, but possessed psychic ability and always had a sweet disposition that was irresistible. I also remember Waldo, the family sheepdog and the rooster, Sebastian. I wish this would get released on DVD for those of us who want a reminder of a simpler time when television was clean and wholesome.